Review: Mazda 2012 Mazda3 i Skyactiv

Sub Title: Sips Gas, Doesn't Skimp on Fun

Mazda 2012 Mazda3 i Skyactiv

8/10

Wired

Finally, a 40 mpg car that’s fun to drive. College student pricing. Predecessor’s cloying “smiley face” grille has been toned down to an understated smirk.

Tired

Sedan is styled with all the joie de vivre of a cardboard box. Sexier-looking hatchback isn’t rated for 40 mpg. It’s not very Zoom-Zoom for the manual transmission to get worse fuel economy than the slushbox.

But the dark side of the penny-pinching trend is the slew of well-intentioned cars that strike the magic 40 mpg figure at the expense of good, ol’ fashioned driving dynamics. Folks who take pleasure in piloting a vehicle are (ironically) pouring a forty on the graves of steering feel, brake feedback, and seat-squishing acceleration — all victims of the quest for that nice, round, and eminently marketable highway fuel economy number.

Can budget-strapped enthusiasts find bliss in this brave new world of electric steering, low rolling resistance tires, and detuned engines? Mazda thinks so, and it’s invented a fancy word for its eco-minded, driver-oriented technology: Skyactiv.

The moniker identifies a series of tweaks debuting on the facelifted 2012 Mazda3, though this particular application isn’t as extensive as you’ll find on the first Mazda to receive the full-blown Skyactiv treatment, the upcoming, redesigned CX-5 crossover.

But the Mazda3 Skyactiv still has plenty of slick tech up its sleeve, helping boost its 2.0 liter, 4-cylinder engine’s fuel economy by up to 21 percent over its predecessor. Mazda’s mad scientists say they spent a decade studying high compression ratio powerplants. Their research led them to minimize heat loss by downsizing the Skyactiv’s combustion chamber, and to counteract the displacement change by lengthening stroke. Fuel is pressurized to a stratospheric 2,900 psi, and introduced using a multi-injection strategy during both the intake and compression stroke. Though the mill achieves a 12:1 compression ratio on 87 octane fuel, that figure is curtailed by limitations in the current chassis; the European version already comes packaged with enough room for a bulkier exhaust system, enabling a 13:1 compression ratio on 87 octane, and a superbike-like 14:1 ratio when running on 91 octane gas. That system will be available in the next-gen Mazda3 along with a diesel variant, though the current U.S. model benefits from tiny improvements throughout, and reduced drag and friction everywhere from the oil pump to the valvetrain.

The Mazda3 Skyactiv squeezes 155 hp and 148 pound-feet from the same displacement as its weaker, thirstier, and lower-priced 2.0 liter offering. The new Skyactiv is also available with an all-new automatic gearbox which uses a torque converter for low speed creeping, but switches to a multi-plate clutch when quicker shifts are in order. Mazda says the ‘box offers greater efficiency than CVT or dual-clutch setups.

Nostalgically inclined drivers can mate the engine to an all-new manual transmission that’s been revised for slicker shifting, lighter effort, and better fuel economy — though its 27/39 mpg figure is bested by the 6-speed auto’s 28/40 mpg (Bingo!) numbers. The five-door version barely misses 40, achieving 28 city and 39 highway with an automatic transmission. If you’re not afraid of combusting some additional dino juice and spending a few more Benjamins, there are 167-hp “s” and 263-hp Mazdaspeed3 versions also available.

I was barraged with plenty of facts and figures at the car’s press intro in Hollywood, California, but eventually cleared my head by bolting deep into the heart of Angeles Crest Highway, a devilishly twisting string of canyon roads that attracts far more daredevil motorcyclists than hypermilers.

Gentle throttle in the city yielded early upshifts in my automatic transmission-equipped tester (no surprise there). And though there isn’t exactly a gut-stirring amount of torque from the massaged four-banger, it’s spunky enough for aggressive acceleration and passing maneuvers. A brief freeway jaunt revealed a surprisingly quiet, well-insulated cabin, whose livability has been improved with upgraded construction, making its purposeful materials incrementally more convincing.

Once out of the city, the Skyactiv held its own against the formidable twists and turns of Angeles Crest with responsive turn-in, surprising mid-corner grip, and a good feel from the electro-hydraulic steering setup. Power surges nicely at around 3,000 rpm, and overriding the automatic gearbox with manual shifts enables smooth, quick cog swaps via the shift lever (paddle shifters, unfortunately, are not available.)

It can’t touch the ballsier personality of the souped-up Mazdaspeed3 — a sort of junior Subaru STi for the budget-minded set — but for vivacious driving and canyon tossability, the Skyactiv defies the skull-numbing soullessness of its competitors. This unassuming little compact is involving enough to satisfy efficiency-minded drivers who actually enjoy driving.

With the intention of testing real-world fuel economy numbers, I later borrowed a Mazda3 Skyactiv sedan and cannonballed to Palm Desert, California, a 300-mile round trip that promised ample opportunity to verify the 40 mpg claims.

Unfortunately, my tester only accepted fuel in half-gallon increments, making it impossible to accurately gauge fuel economy; I tried filling the 14.5-gallon tank click by click, but not knowing when to stop invariably spilled fuel past the filler. A separate test vehicle — this time a manual with deliciously smooth shifter action, as promised — revealed the same issue. My efforts seemed doubly cursed: The second loaner was struck by a large branch during a severe windstorm that felled hundreds of trees, left thousands without power, and triggered a state of emergency through several Southern California suburbs. The sky blue Mazda3 was dented but drivable, and its trip computer consistently revealed fuel economy averages well above 40 mpg during highway driving, indicating up to 48.1 mpg at one point.

I couldn’t verify that figure at the pump, but even with a generous margin of error the Mazda3 should be able to easily top 40 mpg when driven mildly.

Considering the Mazda3 Skyactiv’s sporty tuning and engaging personality, the temptation to dip into your primal instincts for G forces will certainly lower your mpgs. But the four-door version starts at measly $19,245, and the Euro-chic five-door begins at only $19,745; with that kind of pittance, you should be left with plenty of extra dough for refuels.

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